Using the theme from a longstanding tradition native to New Orleans, Louisiana, the Telluride Jazz Festival is excited to once again present the New Orleans 2nd Line Parade! This year’s parade will kick off at noon on Sunday, August 5 from Elks Park and feature No BS! Brass Band and Hooligan Brass Band.

The Parade

The Telluride Jazz Festival’s New Orleans 2nd Line Parade is open to the public and welcomes everyone to join in on the fun on Colorado Ave (Telluride’s Main Street)! Colorful costumes, floats, beads are all welcomed and encouraged. The Parade will start at Elk’s Park and conclude in Telluride Town Park where Tyree Morris and Hearts of Worship will be taking the Main Stage to start the day of music. Participants can meet the parade at the top of Main Street in Elk’s Park at noon. Floats are recommended to be ready to line-up on the West end of the peak of Main Street around 11:45 am. Once the drums and horns from No BS! Brass Band begin, the parade will start.

No BS! Brass Band

Based in Richmond, Virginia, No BS! Brass Band has quickly earned a reputation as a premiere band to see for heart-pounding energy and uncontrollable dancing. They take their music into uncharted territory, embracing the spirit of New Orleans into its original East Coast modern funk and fearlessly combining elements of James Brown, John Coltrane, Michael Jackson, and Led Zeppelin into their fiercely original sound.

Founders Reggie Pace and Lance Koehler have cast this 11-piece band in which nearly every member has had conservatory training, holding various degrees in music. In putting together the compositions and arrangements, the “b.s.” has been stripped to give the audience something solid, unique, organic, real, and powerful. They have the look of New Orleans with the raw sound all their own -- music is a true definition of the “Richmond sound.”

Hooligan Brass Band

Combining elements of funk, hip-hop, and jazz, the Hooligan Brass Band brings the street music of New Orleans to audiences all across the country. With a repertoire based in modern brass band classics from the likes of the Rebirth Brass Band, Youngblood Brass Band, and the Soul Rebels, the Hooligan Brass Band is guaranteed to deliver fun and exciting performances every time they take the stage. The band is comprised entirely of young musicians ages 13-18 and has been recognized by DownBeat magazine as the best youth group of their type on multiple occasions.

Pre-Parade Events

We have plenty of events and kids events to start your Sunday off right before the Parade and the main festival events begin!

First Note Yoga - Start your morning off right with First Note Yoga provided by the Telluride Yoga Festival! Enjoy a fluid yoga flow, activating breath practice, liberating movement and playful exercises to discover new realms of embodied pleasure. Guests of all skill levels are welcome to join Sunday morning at 8:30 am (MT) in Elks Park. Participation is free!

For The Kids - Leading up to the Parade, Telluride's renowned Wilkinson Public Library will host a complimentary kids program. This program will run from 10:00 - 11:00 am (MT), is free of charge and will feature jazz-themed children's activities. Following the Kids Program, children can prepare for the parade in Elks park with a complimentary Costume Making and Face Painting session. All materials are provided for attending families.